Convenience Store Decisions, October 2018

There is no single best type of car wash or best way to market a car wash Eric Wulf CEO International Carwash Association I wouldnt say one style of wash is better or worse than the others said David Crawford vice president of operations for 53 store Green Valley Grocery in Henderson Nev It comes down to climate roads or lack of roads water use what you want to offer the noise level you are allowed by the city you operate in the type and size of cars that will use the wash rural versus urban environment what price point the customers are willing to pay and the level of service you can get to keep your wash running well Crawford said he has found that there is no single best way to market a car wash operation There are so many ways to do this and some operators are doing great things right now so its hard to pinpoint one said Crawford That said you need to start out with a good system and use quality chemicals There are many new car wash competitors entering the market Crawford pointed out The base model wash systems are not enough to compete anymore said Crawford Many customers want options and a covered place to park dry and detail their car Saving water is a requirement for us so any system we use has to have this feature Fuel discounts for car wash users is Crawford confirmed a volume driver for Green Valley Grocery We have tied our offer to the Shell Fuels Rewards program and it has been very successful If it impedes traffic flow on the site or if there isnt enough room or if it isnt easy to use for the customers or if the city had very limited hours on operation we would not build it Car washes make sense only if they make a profit I feel it boils down to what your goal is said Patsy Varpula price book manager for Fabulous Freddys Car Wash an eight unit convenience store chain based in Las Vegas Our goal is to stand apart from our competition There are a lot of local exterior only washes or self serve washes We like to capture any customers needs We offer exterior only full service washes to include the interior and detail services to get your car back to its pristine condition Varpula recommended that convenience store operators with car washes call out what makes them unique Car washes arent necessarily an impulse item We run our business best through word of mouth campaigns and local business partnerships as well as community involvement My owner believes we can sell car washes in the rain because we offer the interior detailing service Remaining profitable Varpula said is a result of keeping labor in check and working efficiently while keeping an eye on chemical usage and utilization Damages are the biggest issue we have with the car wash be it scratches from brushes or overusing chemicals on incorrect materials to just dents and dings due to carelessness in the bays said Varpula Proper training and heightened awareness to the surroundings is an easy way to keep damages down Fabulous Freddys management considers eco friendly water saver programs very important We proudly display that we are a water smart car wash on our locations said Varpula The same holds true for loyalty programs to keep consumers coming back for washes and other store purchases We love rewarding our customers to get them coming back said Varpula Every 11th car wash is free plus they receive our most popular wash for free during their birthday week as well as saving on their gas with a car wash purchase GREEN CLEAN Eco friendly water saver programs can also be an important topic for car wash operators depending upon the municipality that issues the permit and the utility that determines regular energy and water costs Wulf said But almost all car washes being built today are including water recycling technology said Wulf The operational part of water saving is accomplished through equipment and technology ICA manages its WaterSavers program which is designed to educate retailers about the benefits of water conservation and how this approach can be marketed effectively CSD cstoredecisions com October 2018 Convenience Store Decisions 115

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